Momoko Osuga, MLT(ASCP)Hcm
Momoko Osuga is a medical laboratory technologist with a specialty in hematology, which is the study of blood and its components. She is one of the many laboratory professionals that play an important role behind the scenes at hospitals and clinics. Momoko works at a Seattle-area 700 bed hospital in a STAT lab, also known as a rapid response lab. This type of lab usually operates 24 hours a day in order to rapidly process laboratory tests that are needed immediately to help physicians and nurses handle medical emergencies. These labs also perform diagnostic tests needed for patients in the intensive care unit, pediatric floor, or oncology floor of the hospital. Momoko and her colleagues perform the kinds of diagnostic tests that may sound familiar: complete blood counts, metabolic panels, COVID tests, pregnancy tests, urinalysis, and more. She works with patient samples, including blood and urine, to provide important information that physicians and nurses need to better care for their patients.
All those letters after Momoko's name represent the specialized training and certification she has completed. That included a one-year Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) program and board certification through the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) in hematology, in addition to her undergraduate degree. She also maintains her credentials by completing continuing education courses.
"It sounds cliché, but the best part of my job is that it can help people. The patients, of course, but also the people that care for them. In so many instances, I get to provide information that gives clearer direction in patient care and I am honored to be a part of that."
— Momoko Osuga
Momoko's Story
Momoko grew up in Seattle, Washington with her parents and three siblings. Before starting a family, both her parents immigrated from Japan to the U.S. when her father was relocated due to his job in the fisheries industry. Her mother was a stay-at-home parent for most of Momoko's childhood.
As a child, Momoko entertained many different "and mostly fleeting" ideas about her future possible career. She considered being a teacher, a writer, and even a paleontologist. By the time she reached high school, Momoko didn't have a plan of her future goals, nor a clear direction of what she wanted to study in college. She recalled, "everyone around me seemed to know exactly what they wanted to do – and the exact steps that would be needed to get there." She remembered that "this 'not knowing' was very stressful and a source of a lot of anxiety, especially when it came to my undergraduate degree coursework."
Challenges of a Second Generation Immigrant
Both of her parents had attended a four-year university in Japan, but Momoko acknowledged that she was the first in her family to attend a university in the United States. She explained that "the process of figuring out post-high school plans is very different in Japan than in America, and I often found myself very confused as to what I was supposed to do." She continued, "I feel that being a second generation immigrant can have unique challenges -- you are well assimilated into the country and culture around you, yet at times you can feel like you are lacking some fundamental understanding of certain basics (like applying to college)."
Finding Her Career Path
No one introduced Momoko to her career path; she found it herself! Momoko didn't have any exposure to the field of laboratory science. After graduating with a degree in microbiology, Momoko knew that she did not want a career in research and so began researching different jobs and their requirements. She attended an information session about a one-year professional training program in medical laboratory technology (MLT) offered at a local community college for people who already have an associate or undergraduate degree. She decided to apply and was accepted! For people who want to enroll in the MLT program who do not already have an associate or bachelor degree, the community college also offers a two-year associate degree track.
Educational Pathway
Momoko's educational path toward a career in laboratory sciences included:
- Undergraduate: Bachelor of Science in Microbiology (4 years), University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- Medical Laboratory Technologist Training Program: Certificate of Proficiency. Completed 67 credits distributed over 4 academic quarters (1 year), Shoreline Community College, Shoreline, WA
- Board Certification: Board certification from the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) Program
The MLT program included practicum rotations and mentorship. Momoko explained that these rotations place students in a clinical lab to gain real-world experience. She noted, "this is not only a great way to gain experience working with different analyzers and laboratory information systems, but a great opportunity to make connections and network to feel out the job market." The program also provided a valuable mentor, in the form of one of her program instructors. Momoko appreciated that this instructor "was always extremely candid and blunt about the work and put things in the classroom into a real life workplace perspective." It was comforting for Momoko to have "someone with work experience that can guide you as you navigate starting a new program/career."
The MLT program she attended is approved by the National Accreditation Agency for Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), which Momoko explained is the only type that is approved by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).
Outside of Work
In her free time, Momoko can be found exploring the outdoors or cozying up at home. She likes to stay active by cycling, doing yoga, and running. She also enjoys hiking, backpacking, and skiing in the mountains. Seattle is known for its "foodie" scene, and Momoko enjoys trying out new local restaurants. Her favorite meal out? Brunch with friends. With three siblings living nearby, she also likes getting together with her family for local adventures.
Momoko also likes "being cozy at home and enjoying my best introverted life," which includes binge watching shows. Her current favorite series include Euphora, You, and Love is Blind.
A Day in the Life
As a medical lab technologist, Momoko runs a variety of tests on patient samples that require a rapid turnaround time. Sometimes, a test result may show a "panic" or "critical" value, which is a value that is far outside the normal range (too high or too low) and requires immediate action from the attending physician and care team. Momoko explains that panic values she might see include high serum potassium, low hematocrit and hemoglobin, or positive COVID-19 tests. She also performs complete blood counts with and without differentials (CBC/CBC with diff), basic or comprehensive metabolic panels (BMP/CMP), and pregnancy tests. While a COVID-19 or pregnancy test may not seem like an emergency, rapid turnaround is required so that the patient's care team can make decisions about their care, such as if they need to be in a medical isolation room or avoid certain medications. Momoko also performs urinalysis microscopic tests, which includes looking for bacteria or yeast in urine that might signify an infection, or quantifying the number of white and red blood cells in a patient's blood sample.
A challenge to this critical but behind-the-scenes work is that "recognition of lab professionals is essentially non-existent," Momoko acknowledged. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital-based lab professionals like Momoko were considered essential workers. While people in many other professions may have been able to shift to working from home, lab workers like Momoko showed up at the hospital despite the risks. Momoko reflected that "keeping up morale amidst a pandemic where we must continue to persevere has been extremely challenging." In addition, problems with maintaining adequate staffing levels can contribute to stress at work. However, the best part of Momoko's job is being able to help people -- doctors, nurses, and their patients.
Video: Scripps Health Core Medical Lab and STAT Lab Tour
Watch the video below for a tour of a core medical lab and a STAT lab from Scripps Health, a health care system in San Diego, California (this is not where Momoko works). You will see people in different laboratory science jobs working with a variety of equipment to process patient samples.
A core lab is a high-volume centralized laboratory that serves multiple hospitals, clinics, or research centers. This tour includes stops at the microbiology, chemistry, and hematology departments.
The tour also includes a hospital-based STAT lab, also known as a rapid response lab. This part of the tour includes an overview of the hematology, coagulation, and urinalysis department, the chemistry department, the microbiology department, and the blood bank.
Advice for Students
Are you interested in a career as a medical technologist or technician? Momoko advises high school students to look for medical lab technology programs and courses offered at local community colleges, technical schools, and universities. Technologist positions typically require a Bachelor's Degree, while Technician positions require an Associate's Degree. Explore the links at the bottom of this page for programs at the University of Washington and Shoreline Community College, as examples.
"It’s okay to not know, and it’s okay to change your mind." Momoko shared that while "there are so many jobs out there that nobody knows about that are very valid options after high school (or even college)," that it is also "okay not to know exactly what you want to do, and it's okay to try things out to see if it’s a good fit for you." She continued, "this notion that an individual must know what they want to do (from such a young age) and stick to it creates so much unneeded pressure, when in reality, we’re always just figuring it out as we go."
"I really do wish that there were more opportunities to find out about jobs and fields like these that do not get a lot of recognition in traditional academic/career counseling settings."
— Momoko Osuga
U.S. Wage Information
According to the 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics:
- The median wage for biological technicians in the U.S. is $51,430
- The median wage for clinical laboratory technologists and technicians in the U.S. is $60,780
Additional Resources
Credit: Thank you to Momoko Osuga for generously sharing her story. Career profile written by Dr. Kristen Clapper Bergsman.